Clamping-machine.



0. BERGSTROM.

GLAMPING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16, 1916.

Patented July 23,1918.

' TSS 2 SHEE HEET 1.

O. BERGSTROIVI.

CLAMPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. 1916.

1 7 3,1 1 345 m Patented July 23, 1918.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ticles which it OSCAR BEBGS'I'ROM, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN'OR TO HANDY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CLAMPING-MAOHINE.

incense.

Application filed. June 16,1916. Seria1No.104i,07'9.

in the art to which it appertains to make I and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in clamping machines for use in making glued joints. a

The object of my invention s to'provide a rapidly operable machine particularly adapted for making wide boards or panels by gluing together two or more narrow strips or boards. Such a process isfrequently. necessary in building up parts of furniture and the like. i y m A further object of my invention is to provide a 'machine of the. kind described which can be quickly adjusted to receive boards of different width, which shall be provided with a plurality of sets of longitudinally spaced clamps for receiving a plurality of similar'boards, and which shall be conveniently arranged for quick adjustment for receiving and holding different. lengths of boards.

Another object of myinvention is to provideamachine of the character described having a series of clamps mounted for sis multaneous movement and adapted to be presented in succession to an operator for conveniently successively placing and re moving the boardsbeing operated upon. a

My inventionvconsists in a clamping ma chine, having a series of heads movable on v a common arms for spaclng same relatively to each other and a. plurality ofradially projecting clamping members carried by each head, the clamps on the several heads being arranged in alinement, and theseveral heads beingmounted for simultaneous rotation to position the severalsets of alined. clamps successlvely 1n convenient positlon for the operatorto place and remove the ar is desired to secure in the clamps. n

'My invention also includes a conveniently releasable locking mechanism for holding the several heads against rotation,

Specification of Letters Patent.-

particularlyitable boards and y B carried or formed upon end standards The standards C areadapted to stand upon: the floor andhold the shaft B at the proper Patented July as, iaie.

My invention also consists in the several features of construction and in the comb1natlons and relations of parts, ,(ZleVlCBS and mechanisms by which I am enabledto at V tain the above-mentioned and other objects, and all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

My invention will be more readily under stood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification section on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 -taken in the direction ofthe arrow .Fig. -4l is avertical fragmentary sec-;

tion also taken on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 1.but looking in a direction opposite to the arrows. i

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. -1 and showingone of the movable heads and one of the arms carried thereon. a

Fig. 6 is a yertical fragmentary section on the line 66 of Fig. -5.

My improved machine comprises a horizontal' longitudinal member A preferably in the form of a cylindrical shaft mounted, at

its ends for rotation, in elevated bearin s height. I preferably strongly brace the standards rigidly in. position bymeans of diagonal rigid braces D. i it Upon the shaft Imount a plurality of heads E. These headsareinthe formjof circular flanges F. having hubs Gof suitable length. which are adapted to slide xlongi+ tudinally on the shaft :A and forpositionin the heads relatively to each other thereon hold the heads, circumferentiallyuin aline ment by means of a long key or spline H fixed to the shaft providing each head with a key-way to receive the key.

Each head carries a greatmany radially.

disposed clampingdevic'es each comprising an arm J which carries a clamping screw K at its outer or free end and an adjustable; bracket L or stop between its ends, adapted to be positioned on the arm to form an abutment for the inner edge of the article to r di t i ne a d E tha slamp screw carries a swiveled abutment or stop K adapted to be forced toward the inner abutment; to properly clamp the boards or similar articles therebetween.

5 I space the arms J equally around the head E and I arrange the arms onthe sev eral heads in longitudinal alinement so that when-a particular clamp arm orone head is brought into position before the operator 19 there will be a clamp arm on each of the several other heads in alinement therewith,

and consequently a board to'be clamped will finda support upon a member of the clamp arms, depending, of course upon the length 15 .of the board and the relative spacing of the heads;

To properly clamp a board for best work in making glue joints the clamp should be spaced in accordance with the width of the 9 strips being clamped, in other words, if the strips which are to be glued together to form aboard are relatively narrow the clamp should be relatively close together, and furthermore, one clamp should be arranged ,5. relatively nearto eachf end of the article. Thisnecessitates the. adjustment of the clamps longitudinally when changing from onelength of article to another, and sometimes when the dimensions of the pieces out 9 ;of which the article is being built up are changed.

llly machine is particularly adapted for the rapid adjustment ofthe clamps for this purpose, for the reason that all oflthe clamps are permanently'maintained in their relativelycircumferential relations and all of the clamps carried by each head are simultaneously adjusted longitudinally of the machine. Consequently when one longitudi- I ,nal row of the clamps has been adjusted to fit a'certain article, all. of the longitudinal rows 'of clamps are ready to receive similar articles and the time necessary for thls adjustment is reduced to aminimum.

To hold the shaft'Aagainst rotation and the row of clamps being operated at the proper height and'stationary, I provide a simple' locking mechanism comprising a one attach" end, and just inside of, the

standards C. These wheels have notches H in their outer edges adaptedto receive the 0 from engagement with the disks M, I pro 5. vide "'a'ffoot-ba'r' or 'treadle'tl PIVOtlllY'.

mounted atits ends upon the lowerparts of the standards Ctoswingxup and down, and

Icon'nect the ends ofthis treadle Drto the free endsof the dogs 01 by links B .so that u when the-treadlesQ is depressed against the toothed wheel or disk M'keyedto the shaft,"

cludes a plurality of circun'iferential sets of i clamps longitudinally relatively adjustable in the manner described, I have provided a construction of clamps and movable heads which is extremely light relatively to its rigidity and strength, and which can be manufactured with a minimum expenditure of time, labor and cost of material.

Theheads E comprise several parts solidi and rigidly bolted or riveted together and rigidly holding the inner ends of the clamp arms J in proper spaced relation and in proper relative position.

Each of the clamp arms J comprises a U- shaped outer bar or strap member J and a central bar J The outer end ofthc middle bar is rigidly connected to the free end of the outer member by a transverse rivet J carrying tubular spacers J for holding the bar J in proper central position.

I rigidly mount a threaded nut K on the outer end of, the middle bar to receive the screw K, and the abutment K is slidingly mounted on the middle bar to prevent the same rotating with the screw K.

The inner abutment L is also mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the middle bar J and is provided with a forwardly projecting rigid arm L on its lower side which straddles the bar J and carries, adjacent to its forward end, a cross-pin L adapted to be received in any one of a number of spaced notches L in the lower edge of said bar. The abutment L is held against longitudinal movement on the bar by the engagement of the pin L in the notches L and said pin is normally pressed upwardly to engage one of the notches by means of a flat spring L and cont-acts at its rear end with. the under side of said bar J to the rear of the abutment L; The abutment L is thus quickly adjustable longitudinally ofthe arm J to roughly set the clamps ready to receive a certain width of board and the final or clamping adjustment is effected by-means ofthe screws K.

7 Each of the hubs E comprises two flanged members E each having an inner fiat face and adapted to receive between them the inner ends of the middle bars J These flanged membersE are rigidly clamped together and upon the bars J by bolts or rivets E", two of the fasteners E passing through each bar J and holding same in its proper radial relation to the shaft A. These fasteners also secure the outer U-shaped members J rigidly to the hubs E and in proper parallel relationto the middle bars J there being holes provided in the inner ends of the U-shaped members J to receive these fasteners.

Preferably I make the flanged members E of skeleton form, as shown, for the sake of lightness, and I provide raised portions 15 on the outer surface of the flanges to contact with the inner ends of the U-shaped members at points surrounding the fasteners E and whereby the labor in finishing the flanges is greatly reduced.

In operation I first adjust the heads E longitudinally of the shaft to correspond with the length of the boards which I desire to clamp in the machine. This adjustment of the machine is Very quickly effected as the clamps of the respective heads are held in longitudinal alinement, and the whole circumferential series carried by each head are obviously adjusted longitudinally of the shaft simultaneously.

Having adjusted the machine as described I then adjust the several inner clamps in each longitudinal row in accordance with the widths of the boards to be clamped, at which time the machine is ready for opera tion. I place the several parts or strips which are to form a complete board upon one of the longitudinal rows of arms J, first having applied glue to the contacting edges and then I tightly clamp the strips together by manipulating the screws K. During this operation the shaft A is held against rota- Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the tion by means of the locking mechanism. Then the shaft is released by stepping upon the foot-bar Q, and the shaft A. rotated to bring the next longitudinal set of arms J into position before the workman and ready to be filled. I provide a sufficient number of sets of arms J so that, as ordinarily oper ated, the first board inserted will be ready for removal when the last set of arms J are filled, consequently the operation of the machine can be substantially continuous.

I claim as my invention:

In a clamping machine of the character described, a head adapted to be slidingly mounted upon a shaft and to be held against relative rotation, said head having two op posed flanges, a series of clamp arms secured to the head and each comprising a central bar and an outer U-shaped bar, the outer ends thereof secured rigidly together, the inner end of the central bar positioned between the said flanges, and the inner ends of the outer member positioned against the outer faces of the flanges and fasteners passing through the flanges and the inner ends of all of said bars and rigidly securing said members in position, said arms adapted to carry suitable clamping members.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR BERGSTROM. Witnesses:

I-I. ANDERSON, A. F. HARGRAVE, J r.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

